Veterans Defense Project

Veterans who have struggled since returning from the battlefield don’t have to look far for a helping hand. Their fellow former soldiers are being trained as mentors during a two-day “boot camp” in Northeast Philadelphia. These volunteers know what it’s like — they’ve been there.

When Ryan Harbaugh of Old Forge returned from a tour of duty in Afghanistan in 2011, the substance abuse problem that plagued him most of his adult life escalated. Unable to cope with the stress of returning to civilian life, the 31-year-old Army veteran said he drowned his problems with alcohol. He’s not alone.  …

Veterans Court was introduced to Anoka County in November of 2012, and since then, over 30 graduates have successfully completed the program.

David Belcher returned from the Iraq war broken. The platoon sergeant suffered a traumatic brain injury when four guys beat him up with a tire iron and suffered from post-traumatic stress after an officer in his command who was a good friend was killed. He started having seizures and started taking prescription drugs. Depressed and…

Eleven years ago, Charles King returned home from an Army deployment in Iraq angry and wary of the world and people around him. The distance between the combat mechanic and the rest of the world widened until he landed in Ramsey County District Court in 2013 for a domestic incident. The timing was fortuitous —…

Horrific battlefield injuries — physical and mental. Frustrating struggles for medical care of those injuries months and years after military discharge. Families, relationships, and civilian lives changed forever. And stunning numbers of veterans contemplating suicide, to say nothing of the 686 veterans of all ages in Minnesota who did end their own lives between 2007…